


The Way to a Prince's Heart

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Spooks | MI-5
Genre: Drabble Sequence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 18:25:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12870408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: A drabble series in which Lucas and Adam discover they have things in common.





	The Way to a Prince's Heart

**Comedy**

Lucas North watched as the rest of Section D laughed and made jokes.  He knew it was a response to the events of earlier in the day; a reaction to the tension they’d all be under.  He forced himself to smile and look as if he was joining in, but he wasn’t sure how well he was succeeding.  He caught Malcolm giving him a speculative look, and turned in the opposite direction, not wishing to give himself away.  Adam Carter made an appallingly bad pun, and Lucas laughed along with the rest; having almost been killed, Adam deserved that much.

 

**Chaos**

At the end of the afternoon, Lucas left the Grid.  Some of Section D were heading to the pub, but he had no wish to join them, and instead joined the chaos of London’s rush hour.  He thought of taking the tube, but there were delays on the District line, and he didn’t feel like battling through the crowds finding alternate routes, amid the tourists similarly milling around.  He started to walk, passing commuters darting for buses, getting in each other’s way; pushing and shoving to get onto overcrowded vehicles.  Lucas didn’t mind the chaos, it reflected his inner feelings.

 

**Clocks**

The clock on the Grid had said 5.15 when Lucas left, and he had been vaguely conscious of hearing Big Ben strike six, but it still came as a surprise when he looked up at the large clock in Waterloo station to see it was now half past six.  He hadn’t realised how long he had spent walking, his mind elsewhere.  People used to arrange to meet under that clock in the pre-digital era.  He wondered if they still did.  Then he turned to the departure board to look for his next train, automatically glancing at the time shown there.

 

**Fall**

A sudden shout drew Lucas’ attention. He saw a member of staff helping someone who had fallen over. He was about to ignore it, but then realised it was Adam lying on the ground.  He went over.

“It’s okay.  He’s a colleague of mine; I’ll take care of him, thank you.”  Lucas helped Adam to sit up.  “Are you okay, mate?”

“Yes.  I think things are catching up on me.”

Adam still looked shaky, so Lucas said, “Have you got anyone at home?  You shouldn’t be on your own tonight.”

“No.”

“In which case you can come home with me.”

 

**Fairy Tale**

Adam was sitting at the kitchen table whilst Lucas grilled some sausages for them.

“I’m very grateful you arrived when you did,” Adam said.  “You must be my fairy godmother.”

“I hardly think sausage and mash in my tiny kitchen equates to going to the ball.”

“But good fairy, you said there would be baked beans as well.”

Lucas laughed.  “Indeed, Cinders, you shall have baked beans.  Although I still think I’m more like a frog waiting to be kissed by a handsome prince.”

He was surprised, but thrilled when Adam winked and said, “Maybe we should test that out.”

 

**Sleepless**

Lucas had insisted Adam take his bed, saying he was happy to sleep on the sofa.  It wasn’t as if it would make much difference, he knew he wouldn’t sleep well.   Over the last few weeks he had begun to sleep better, but he knew the tensions of the day would return to trouble him.  He lay on the sofa and stared at the ceiling, his mind returning to his years in Russia.  He tried to blank them out, but it was pointless, and in the end he curled up on his side, shuddering, as the memories crashed over him.

 

**Night**

Lucas was so caught up in the events of his past he failed to hear the soft footsteps which came into the living room.  It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his shoulder, and Adam’s voice saying quietly, “Ssh, it’s okay,” he realised what was happening.

Adam gently shoved him upright, and sat down next to him on the sofa, pulling the blankets up so they were underneath them.  “It’s worst at night, isn’t it?” Adam said.  “When there’s nothing to stop you thinking, and it all comes flooding back.”

“You understand?”

“Why do you think I’m awake too?”

 

**Poetry**

“What do you do when you admit you really won’t get to sleep?” Adam asked.

“Don’t laugh, but I read poetry.  I like William Blake, and if I concentrate on the words it helps to blank out the other thoughts,” Lucas replied.  He dug out a small book which had slipped down the side of the sofa and showed it to Adam, the pages already starting to look dog-eared despite its recent purchase.

“Why should I laugh?  I read classic British detective stories of the body in the library genre.  Dubious plot, no literary value, just sufficient to give distraction.”

 

**Taste**

In the end Lucas agreed to share the double bed with Adam, on the basis they could always lie awake together.  He’d slept fitfully, but better than he’d expected.

In the morning he made breakfast for them and then called out when it was ready, “Come and get your porridge before Goldilocks eats it!”  He was delighted to hear Adam’s laughter in response.

Afterwards Adam said, “On the way into work I’m taking you for coffee and cake at a café I know.  They do lemon drizzle cake that is out of this world; I can almost taste it now.”

 

**Sweet**

Lucas was enchanted when they walked into the café.  There were so many cakes on display he could have spent all day in there, eating his way through the menu.

Adam saw his expression and laughed.  “I’d be happy to come here again, if you wanted to try a variety of cake.”

“Would you?  I’d like that.”  The thought of spending time with Adam appealed greatly, even without cake.

“We could work our way round the best cake shops in London.”

“You certainly know the way to a man’s heart.”

“See, little frog, I knew you were a prince really!”


End file.
